Even though Michigan was crushed by Florida in the Peach Bowl to cap their 2018 season, the pundits are extremely high on Jim Harbaugh’s crew this season. With Urban Meyer gone at Ohio State, the time is now for the Wolverines to assert themselves in the Big Ten East and take their first division title since the conference split into two divisions in 2011.
It certainly helps that Shea Patterson is back for his final season at quarterback. The Ole Miss transfer enters his second season as the Wolverines starter hoping to build on a 2,600-yard, 22-touchdown campaign in 2018. Karan Higdon is gone from the backfield, tight end Zach Gentry is off to the pros, but Harbaugh has recruited well to weather the storm.
The defense lost far more pieces to the pros, with first-round NFL Draft selections Devin Bush Jr. and Rashan Gary leading the pack on landing a job in the NFL.The Wolverines should be able to plug in new players without too many worries to keep up what was one of the most dominant defenses of 2018.
Notre Dame comes to Ann Arbor this year. So too does Army, a contest that could be one of Michigan’s most challenging games of the season. Trips to Wisconsin and Penn State are their two toughest of the schedule, with Ohio State, Michigan State, and Notre Dame all coming to the Big House this year.